BRISTOL - What does it take to make it in Bristol as a businessman? For Tim Chapulis, itâ€™s a passion for finding old treasures and reminding people that not everything has to be a do-it-yourself project.

Timâ€™s Inc. Auctions is celebrating its 25th year in Bristol and 38 years in the business of preserving and selling history - items, houses, cars and more that people no longer need or want. When families want to downsize, sell their home or a family member has passed away and left their estate for their children to liquidate, Timâ€™s Inc. Auctions helps with the whole process of clearing it out.

â€śI love discovering things that families think nobody in their right mind would want. Usually those are the things that people really fall in love with,â€ť Chapulis said. â€śSome people donâ€™t understand it.â€ť

Many of the items sold by Timâ€™s Inc. Auctions were saved by grandparents during hard times, such as the Great Depression era, when people saved everything and items were kept because they were â€śnear and dear to their heart.â€ť At one recent auction, Chapulis auctioned off an old railroad lantern for almost $1,000.

â€śThatâ€™s because somebody out in the world fell in love with the lantern more than anybody else did,â€ť Chapulis said.

Another woman had a book that was worth $25,000 sitting on a bookshelf upstairs that she wanted to get rid of.

These days, many people rent dumpsters when they are clearing out a house and throw some of the best things away, Chapulis said.

Some of his favorite pieces that clients want to get rid of are Victorian era marble-top furniture and rosewood and antique clocks.

â€śThereâ€™s nothing like going into an attic after years with all the cobwebs. Most people would think thatâ€™s dirty and unfresh, but for us those items are fresh and right out of the attic for people to love. Attics have old train sets, china dolls, a trunk or two with a whole life of vintage clothes, books, family albums, photos. This is what people want today,â€ť Chapulis said.